We were wondering how Linda was going to show up for the Emmys. Her nominated performance was for a character who, by necessity, looked quite a bit older and frumpier than she is. We predicted something boldly colorful and attention-seeking in shape, because the majority of the public doesn’t know her well enough to know what a babe she is.

Bold colors were the trend for the night, which was fun for us. For at least six years now, the lack of color on the red carpet has been our most consistent complaint about it. We suspect this crayon trend will run all the way through awards season, but it’ll probably play itself out fairly quickly after that. Color, like print, is one more thing to get wrong in a red carpet ensemble, which is why so many celebs tend to stay away from both. It’s not helped by the fact that, due to the vagaries of the red carpet world (outdoor lighting at dusk and an unknowable number of artificial light sources constantly going on and off), you never quite know how the color is going to look in pictures or on television.

We don’t much love these types of origami gowns just because we’ve seen so many of them, but we have to admit, this one is a knockout. There’s maybe a bit too much volume at the front waist, but the bustline is gorgeous and the whole thing looks amazing from the back.

She’s also managing to almost make the mermaid hair work for us, which is pretty amazing, since we hate it. Something about this look just comes together; a perfect blend of the right wearer and the right style decisions being made.